Review: Oktoberfest Lager

Tenaya Creek Brewery

Grade: B+

Appearance: Pours a golden pilsner -like color with a hazy orange tint.  The head is very weak and leaves no lacing.

Smell: Sweet and toasty Munich malts with some caramel and nutty undertones.  Earthy hops with a slight bitterness is picked up from underneath the layer of malts.  Some orange and lemon zest are there to compliment the hops.

Taste: Citrus peel bitterness is felt immediately and a lot stronger than the smell would indicate.  The sweet and bready malts actually take a back seat to the hops, which is unusual for a Marzen.  The caramel sweetness and nuttiness takes over at the finish, with some hops still lingering.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with medium carbonation and pretty refreshing.

Drinkability: The medium carbonation makes this one an easy drinker, despite its sweet malts getting stronger and stronger as the brew warms.

Overall: This is a refreshing take on the Marzen style.  It is almost an IPA through the first half of the beer then transcends into a Marzen through the second half.  Tenaya Creek is a great brewery that hasn't let me down yet.  You'll be hearing from this brewery in the near future as it continues to grow.